The present invention relates to a rear under view mirror apparatus for automobiles which is used to confirm from the driver's seat the safety at the under field of the rear zone of the automobile when the automobile is moved backward.
The confirmation of the safety at the rear field or area behind the automobile when the automobile is moved backward is indispensable. Especially, in the case of a box-type automobile such as a bus, wagon, etc., it is difficult to visually recognize or ensure from the driver's seat the rear under field of view. Therefore, the use of a rear under view mirror apparatus is indispensable. A typical example of such an under view mirror apparatus has a construction wherein a stay is secured on a rear portion of the roof of the automobile and a downwardly directed convex mirror is fixed to a forward end of this stay, whereby the driver sees an image of the convex mirror through a back mirror that is provided near the driver's seat so as to ensure the rear under field of view from the driver's seat.
This conventional example is of a fixed type. Therefore, the under view mirror apparatus of this conventional example cannot be stored during an ordinary running of the automobile and so is unpreferable not only from the viewpoint of the enhancement of the visual recognition of the rear field for safety but also from the viewpoint of the outer appearance.
In view of this, the general practice is that the under view mirror apparatus is ordinarily stored within a rear spoiler or deflector, namely a stored position, and, only when the automobile is to be moved backward, the under view mirror apparatus is caused to protrude from the stored position and moved to the position of use, namely, a use position. One example of this is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H1-127430 (1989). This conventional example is such that pulleys and belts are used in combination. However, in this conventional example, the surface of the mirror is only linearly moved from the stored position to the use position. The relative relationship between the surface of the mirror and the automobile remains unchanged. In other words, when the position of the mirror which is suitable for the visual view of the under rear field of the automobile is determined, the mirror is stored into the deflector with its attitude remaining unchanged. As a result, the contour of the housing of the mirror and the contour of the deflector are brought out of coincidence with each other, so that the outer appearance of the combined structure as a whole is not good. On the other hand, when trying to make the outer appearance good, it results that the design of the deflector is limited by a space for the housing of the mirror and so the freedom of design is limited.